William Wordsworth Fisher
Encyclopedia
Admiral Sir William Wordsworth Fisher, GCB
, GCVO
(26 March 1875 – 24 June 1937) was a Royal Navy
officer who captained a battleship at the Battle of Jutland
and became Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet
. Arthur Marder
wrote that he was "the outstanding admiral of the inter-war period."
, the son of historian Herbert William Fisher
and his wife Mary Louisa Jackson (1841–1916). He joined the Royal Navy
in 1888 and trained in HMS Britannia
.
As a Midshipman he served in HMS Raleigh, flagship of the Cape of Good Hope and West Africa Squadron
, for three years from 1890–1893, before joining HMS Calypso
in the Training Squadron. After examinations and courses, and now a Sub-Lieutenant
, he joined the protected cruiser
HMS Hawke
in the Mediterranean Fleet
in January 1896. The ship was a byword for smartness, her "stream anchor ... kept burnished like polished silver", and Fisher left her as a Lieutenant, with highly appreciative reports from his captains, selected for the gunnery course.
He joined the gunnery course, for a first year at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich
, on 14 September 1898, along with other Lieutenant
s who were likewise to distinguish themselves in later years: A A M Duff
, Frank Larken
, Tufton Beamish
and E A Taylor (like Beamish, later also a MP
). The second year of the course was at Whale Island
and the third and final year on a gunnery school staff, which for Fisher was to be Whale Island
. His joined his first ship, the modern pre-dreadnought
battleship
HMS Canopus, as a gunnery Lieutenant
in Malta
in November 1901. In mid-1903 he was again ashore, on the staff of the West Country
gunnery school
and this was followed, on 1 January 1904, by an appointment as a senior staff officer at Whale Island
. This appointment would normally have led to his becoming First Lieutenant
of Whale Island
but Fisher fell out with Captain Percy Scott
, the famous gunnery expert then commanding 'The Island'.
Nevertheless, his reputation could weather minor storms, and he was selected by Captain Arthur Leveson
, flag captain
to Admiral Sir William May
, as First
and gunnery Lieutenant
of the new Atlantic Fleet flagship
, HMS King Edward VII
, joining her in January 1905. He struck up a firm and lasting friendship with Dudley Pound
in a busy eighteen months on board, leaving the ship early after selection for early promotion to Commander
, donning his 'brass hat' on 30 June 1906, aged just 31.
His first appointment with three stripes, in September 1906, was as Commander of the pre-dreadnought
battleship
HMS Albemarle
, flagship
of Rear-Admiral Atlantic Fleet, soon to be commanded by Captain Robert Falcon Scott
and flying the flag of Rear-Admiral John Jellicoe. His success in her led to his joining, in the same role, in June 1908, the new battlecruiser
HMS Indomitable
, fitting out to take the Prince of Wales
to Canada
for a seven-day visit. This was soon followed by his becoming Flag Commander - gunnery adviser - to the Commander-in-Chief Home Fleet, his old chief Admiral Sir William May
, flying his flag in the new battleship
HMS Dreadnought
, where he developed gunnery tactics. When Admiral May
was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
in the spring of 1911, Fisher followed as his Flag Commander, a post that allowed him to live at home with his new wife, cycling the four miles to work, for some nine months. Then he joined the new battlecruiser
HMS Princess Royal
, fitting out at Vickers
, Barrow-in-Furness
but, before she was commissioned, he had left her, being promoted, at the young age of 37, to Captain on 1 July 1912.
"W W", as he was known, joined the battleship
HMS St. Vincent
, wearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Somerset Gough-Calthorpe, on 10 December 1912. By 1916 she was a 'private ship' (flying no admiral's flag) and, for the early part of his service in World War I
, he was still captain
of HMS St. Vincent
and with her at the Battle of Jutland
. He commanded that battleship
for three years and five months and moved to the Anti-Submarine Division in the Admiralty
in late September 1916, becoming Director in May 1917, where he stayed until the Armistice
, in November 1918, having overseen a host of new inventions to defeat the enemy submarine
menace.
He was appointed captain of the battleship
HMS Iron Duke
on 1 February 1919, the ship soon to join the Mediterranean Fleet
. There, his initiative was put to good use in difficult diplomatic and political situations in Turkey
, Egypt
and the Black Sea
. In August 1919, HMS Iron Duke
became the flagship
of the new Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet
, Admiral Sir John de Robeck
and he asked Fisher to be his Chief of Staff
, in the rank of Commodore 2nd Class
; he remained in that post on promotion to Rear-Admiral
in 1922, developing an excellent relationship with his chief.
He went on to be Rear-Admiral
, 1st Battle Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet
in 1924 for a year and then spent ten months unemployed, on half pay, before taking over as Director of Naval Intelligence
, for eight months, during Rear-Admiral Alan Hotham's illness. He was appointed Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Supplies and Transport
in 1927 and promoted Vice-Admiral in January 1928. He was made Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff in 1928, overseeing a period of naval economy. He became Vice-Admiral, Second in Command of the Mediterranean Fleet
, hoisting his flag in the battleship
HMS Revenge
, at Marseilles, in October 1930.
After a six-month respite in England, from April 1932, he was promoted to full admiral and became Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet
, hoisting his flag in the battleship
HMS Resolution, on 31 October 1932. During more than a decade as a flag officer
with the Mediterranean Fleet
, he developed a great affection for Malta
, and his love for the children of the village of Mġarr
is marked by the name of Fisher Road. He handed over command at the end of March 1936 and went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
, hoisting his flag in HMS Victory
on 7 July 1936. After the Coronation Naval Review and the King's Birthday Review, on Southsea Common, he died in office, while on leave in the country, after just under a year in post, in late June 1937.
on 21 December 1907. Their daughter, Cecilia Rosamund Fisher (22 November 1909–1991) married Captain Richard Duke Coleridge, 4th Baron Coleridge
(1905–1984) of the Royal Navy on 28 August 1936; they had issue, 2 sons, including the present peer. Another daughter Horatia Mary Fisher married Group Captain Geoffrey Mungo Buxton (1906–1979), a grandson maternally of the 3rd Earl of Verulam, and had three surviving daughters.
Fisher was the brother of Herbert Fisher
and of Florence Henrietta Darwin
.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, GCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(26 March 1875 – 24 June 1937) was a Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer who captained a battleship at the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
and became Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet
Mediterranean Fleet
Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. See:* Mediterranean Fleet * French Mediterranean Fleet* Mediterranean Squadron * United States Sixth Fleet...
. Arthur Marder
Arthur Marder
Arthur Jacob Marder was a highly regarded American historian specializing in British naval history in the period 1880 - 1945.-Early life and education:...
wrote that he was "the outstanding admiral of the inter-war period."
Naval career
Fisher was born at Blatchington in SussexSussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, the son of historian Herbert William Fisher
Herbert William Fisher
Herbert William Fisher was a British historian, best known for his book Considerations on the Origin of the American War ....
and his wife Mary Louisa Jackson (1841–1916). He joined the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1888 and trained in HMS Britannia
HMS Prince of Wales (1860)
HMS Prince of Wales was one of six 121-gun screw-propelled first-rate three-decker line-of-battle ships of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 25 January 1860...
.
As a Midshipman he served in HMS Raleigh, flagship of the Cape of Good Hope and West Africa Squadron
Cape of Good Hope Station
The Cape of Good Hope Station was one of the geographical divisions into which the British Royal Navy divided its worldwide responsibilities. It was formally the units and establishments responsible to the Commander-in-Chief, Cape of Good Hope....
, for three years from 1890–1893, before joining HMS Calypso
HMS Calypso (1883)
HMS Calypso was a corvette of the Royal Navy and the name ship of her class. Built for distant cruising in the heyday of the British Empire, she served as a warship and training vessel until 1922, when she was sold.As originally classified as a screw corvette, Calypso was one of the Royal Navy’s...
in the Training Squadron. After examinations and courses, and now a Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is a military rank. It is normally a junior officer rank.In many navies, a sub-lieutenant is a naval commissioned or subordinate officer, ranking below a lieutenant. In the Royal Navy the rank of sub-lieutenant is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the British Army and of...
, he joined the protected cruiser
Protected cruiser
The protected cruiser is a type of naval cruiser of the late 19th century, so known because its armoured deck offered protection for vital machine spaces from shrapnel caused by exploding shells above...
HMS Hawke
HMS Hawke (1891)
HMS Hawke, launched in 1891, was the sixth British warship to be named Hawke. She was an Edgar-class protected cruiser.-Service:...
in the Mediterranean Fleet
Mediterranean Fleet
Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. See:* Mediterranean Fleet * French Mediterranean Fleet* Mediterranean Squadron * United States Sixth Fleet...
in January 1896. The ship was a byword for smartness, her "stream anchor ... kept burnished like polished silver", and Fisher left her as a Lieutenant, with highly appreciative reports from his captains, selected for the gunnery course.
He joined the gunnery course, for a first year at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich
Old Royal Naval College
The Old Royal Naval College is the architectural centrepiece of Maritime Greenwich, a World Heritage Site in Greenwich, London, described by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation as being of “outstanding universal value” and reckoned to be the “finest and most...
, on 14 September 1898, along with other Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
s who were likewise to distinguish themselves in later years: A A M Duff
Alexander Ludovic Duff
Admiral Sir Alexander Ludovic Duff GCB GBE KCVO was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, China Station.-Naval career:...
, Frank Larken
Frank Larken
Vice Admiral Sir Frank Larken KCB CMG was a Royal Navy officer who became Naval Secretary.-Naval career:Larken served in World War I and, as Captain of the cruiser HMS Doris, he led a successful raid cutting the railway line between Adana and Alexandretta in December 1914 thereby impeding the...
, Tufton Beamish
Tufton Percy Hamilton Beamish
Rear Admiral Tufton Percy Hamilton Beamish, RN, DL was an English naval officer and Conservative Party politician. He married Margaret Simon in 1914. The couple had two daughters and one surviving son....
and E A Taylor (like Beamish, later also a MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
). The second year of the course was at Whale Island
Whale Island, Hampshire
Whale Island is a small island in Portsmouth Harbour, close by Portsea Island. It is currently home to HMS Excellent, the oldest shore training establishment within the Royal Navy, and the Headquarters of Commander in Chief, Fleet.-Early history:...
and the third and final year on a gunnery school staff, which for Fisher was to be Whale Island
Whale Island, Hampshire
Whale Island is a small island in Portsmouth Harbour, close by Portsea Island. It is currently home to HMS Excellent, the oldest shore training establishment within the Royal Navy, and the Headquarters of Commander in Chief, Fleet.-Early history:...
. His joined his first ship, the modern pre-dreadnought
Pre-dreadnought
Pre-dreadnought battleship is the general term for all of the types of sea-going battleships built between the mid-1890s and 1905. Pre-dreadnoughts replaced the ironclad warships of the 1870s and 1880s...
battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
HMS Canopus, as a gunnery Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
in November 1901. In mid-1903 he was again ashore, on the staff of the West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
gunnery school
HMS Cambridge (1956)
HMS Cambridge was a Royal Navy shore establishment south of Plymouth UK, commissioned between 1956 to 2001. Formerly named HM Gunnery School, Devonport, then Cambridge Gunnery School at Wembury....
and this was followed, on 1 January 1904, by an appointment as a senior staff officer at Whale Island
Whale Island, Hampshire
Whale Island is a small island in Portsmouth Harbour, close by Portsea Island. It is currently home to HMS Excellent, the oldest shore training establishment within the Royal Navy, and the Headquarters of Commander in Chief, Fleet.-Early history:...
. This appointment would normally have led to his becoming First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
of Whale Island
Whale Island, Hampshire
Whale Island is a small island in Portsmouth Harbour, close by Portsea Island. It is currently home to HMS Excellent, the oldest shore training establishment within the Royal Navy, and the Headquarters of Commander in Chief, Fleet.-Early history:...
but Fisher fell out with Captain Percy Scott
Percy Scott
Admiral Sir Percy Moreton Scott, 1st Baronet GCB KCVO was a British Royal Navy officer and a pioneer in modern naval gunnery.-Early years:...
, the famous gunnery expert then commanding 'The Island'.
Nevertheless, his reputation could weather minor storms, and he was selected by Captain Arthur Leveson
Arthur Leveson
Admiral Sir Arthur Cavenagh Leveson GCB was a senior officer in the Royal Navy. He was the Rear Admiral Commanding His Majesty's Australian Fleet between 9 January 1917 and 3 September 1918 and later Commander in Chief, China Station between 10 September 1922 and 22 April 1925.-Biography:Born on...
, flag captain
Flag captain
In the Royal Navy, a flag captain was the captain of an admiral's flagship. During the 18th and 19th centuries, this ship might also have a "captain of the fleet", who would be ranked between the admiral and the "flag captain" as the ship's "First Captain", with the "flag captain" as the ship's...
to Admiral Sir William May
William May
William May , also known as William Meye, was an English clergyman and divine, who was nominated Archbishop of York in 1560 but died before election....
, as First
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
and gunnery Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
of the new Atlantic Fleet flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
, HMS King Edward VII
HMS King Edward VII
HMS King Edward VII, named after King Edward VII, was the lead ship of her class of Royal Navy pre-dreadnought battleships.-Technical characteristics:HMS King Edward VII was laid down at Devonport Dockyard on 8 March 1902...
, joining her in January 1905. He struck up a firm and lasting friendship with Dudley Pound
Dudley Pound
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Alfred Dudley Pickman Rogers Pound GCB OM GCVO RN was a British naval officer who served as First Sea Lord, professional head of the Royal Navy from June 1939 to September 1943.- Early life :...
in a busy eighteen months on board, leaving the ship early after selection for early promotion to Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
, donning his 'brass hat' on 30 June 1906, aged just 31.
His first appointment with three stripes, in September 1906, was as Commander of the pre-dreadnought
Pre-dreadnought
Pre-dreadnought battleship is the general term for all of the types of sea-going battleships built between the mid-1890s and 1905. Pre-dreadnoughts replaced the ironclad warships of the 1870s and 1880s...
battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
HMS Albemarle
HMS Albemarle (1901)
HMS Albemarle was a pre-Dreadnought Duncan-class battleship of the Royal Navy, named after George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle.-Technical Description:...
, flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of Rear-Admiral Atlantic Fleet, soon to be commanded by Captain Robert Falcon Scott
Robert Falcon Scott
Captain Robert Falcon Scott, CVO was a Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the Discovery Expedition, 1901–04, and the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition, 1910–13...
and flying the flag of Rear-Admiral John Jellicoe. His success in her led to his joining, in the same role, in June 1908, the new battlecruiser
Battlecruiser
Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
HMS Indomitable
HMS Indomitable (1907)
HMS Indomitable was an of the British Royal Navy. She was built before World War I and had an active career during the war. She tried to hunt down the German ships Goeben and Breslau in the Mediterranean when war broke out and bombarded Turkish fortifications protecting the Dardanelles even...
, fitting out to take the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
for a seven-day visit. This was soon followed by his becoming Flag Commander - gunnery adviser - to the Commander-in-Chief Home Fleet, his old chief Admiral Sir William May
William May
William May , also known as William Meye, was an English clergyman and divine, who was nominated Archbishop of York in 1560 but died before election....
, flying his flag in the new battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
HMS Dreadnought
HMS Dreadnought (1906)
HMS Dreadnought was a battleship of the British Royal Navy that revolutionised naval power. Her entry into service in 1906 represented such a marked advance in naval technology that her name came to be associated with an entire generation of battleships, the "dreadnoughts", as well as the class of...
, where he developed gunnery tactics. When Admiral May
William May
William May , also known as William Meye, was an English clergyman and divine, who was nominated Archbishop of York in 1560 but died before election....
was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
The Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Plymouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the admiral's command. In the nineteenth century the holder of the office was known as Commander-in-Chief,...
in the spring of 1911, Fisher followed as his Flag Commander, a post that allowed him to live at home with his new wife, cycling the four miles to work, for some nine months. Then he joined the new battlecruiser
Battlecruiser
Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
HMS Princess Royal
HMS Princess Royal (1911)
HMS Princess Royal was the second of two s built for the Royal Navy before World War I. Designed in response to the s of the German Navy, the ships significantly improved on the speed, armament, and armour of the preceding...
, fitting out at Vickers
Vickers
Vickers was a famous name in British engineering that existed through many companies from 1828 until 1999.-Early history:Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by the miller Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor &...
, Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle...
but, before she was commissioned, he had left her, being promoted, at the young age of 37, to Captain on 1 July 1912.
"W W", as he was known, joined the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
HMS St. Vincent
HMS St. Vincent (1908)
HMS St. Vincent was the lead ship of the St. Vincent class battleships of the British Royal Navy.She was commissioned on 3 May 1910 as 2nd flagship of 1st Division Home Fleet at Portsmouth. She was commanded by Capt. Douglas R. L. Nicholson and was flagship of Rear-Admiral Richard H...
, wearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Somerset Gough-Calthorpe, on 10 December 1912. By 1916 she was a 'private ship' (flying no admiral's flag) and, for the early part of his service in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he was still captain
Captain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
of HMS St. Vincent
HMS St. Vincent (1908)
HMS St. Vincent was the lead ship of the St. Vincent class battleships of the British Royal Navy.She was commissioned on 3 May 1910 as 2nd flagship of 1st Division Home Fleet at Portsmouth. She was commanded by Capt. Douglas R. L. Nicholson and was flagship of Rear-Admiral Richard H...
and with her at the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
. He commanded that battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
for three years and five months and moved to the Anti-Submarine Division in the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
in late September 1916, becoming Director in May 1917, where he stayed until the Armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
, in November 1918, having overseen a host of new inventions to defeat the enemy submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
menace.
He was appointed captain of the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
HMS Iron Duke
HMS Iron Duke (1912)
HMS Iron Duke was a battleship of the Royal Navy, the lead ship of her class, named in honour of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. She served as the flagship of the Grand Fleet during the First World War, including at the Battle of Jutland...
on 1 February 1919, the ship soon to join the Mediterranean Fleet
Mediterranean Fleet
Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. See:* Mediterranean Fleet * French Mediterranean Fleet* Mediterranean Squadron * United States Sixth Fleet...
. There, his initiative was put to good use in difficult diplomatic and political situations in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
. In August 1919, HMS Iron Duke
HMS Iron Duke (1912)
HMS Iron Duke was a battleship of the Royal Navy, the lead ship of her class, named in honour of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. She served as the flagship of the Grand Fleet during the First World War, including at the Battle of Jutland...
became the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of the new Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet
Mediterranean Fleet
Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. See:* Mediterranean Fleet * French Mediterranean Fleet* Mediterranean Squadron * United States Sixth Fleet...
, Admiral Sir John de Robeck
John de Robeck
Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Michael de Robeck, 1st Baronet GCB, GCMG, GCVO was an admiral in the British Royal Navy who commanded the Allied naval force in the Dardanelles during World War I....
and he asked Fisher to be his Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
, in the rank of Commodore 2nd Class
Commodore (Royal Navy)
Commodore is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain and below Rear Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier in the British Army and Royal Marines and to Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.-Insignia:...
; he remained in that post on promotion to Rear-Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
in 1922, developing an excellent relationship with his chief.
He went on to be Rear-Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
, 1st Battle Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet
Mediterranean Fleet
Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. See:* Mediterranean Fleet * French Mediterranean Fleet* Mediterranean Squadron * United States Sixth Fleet...
in 1924 for a year and then spent ten months unemployed, on half pay, before taking over as Director of Naval Intelligence
Naval Intelligence Division
The Naval Intelligence Division was the intelligence arm of the British Admiralty before the establishment of a unified Defence Staff in 1965. It dealt with matters concerning British naval plans, with the collection of naval intelligence...
, for eight months, during Rear-Admiral Alan Hotham's illness. He was appointed Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Supplies and Transport
Fourth Sea Lord
The Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Supplies was formerly one of the Naval Lords and members of the Board of Admiralty which controlled the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom.-History:...
in 1927 and promoted Vice-Admiral in January 1928. He was made Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff in 1928, overseeing a period of naval economy. He became Vice-Admiral, Second in Command of the Mediterranean Fleet
Mediterranean Fleet
Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. See:* Mediterranean Fleet * French Mediterranean Fleet* Mediterranean Squadron * United States Sixth Fleet...
, hoisting his flag in the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
HMS Revenge
HMS Revenge (06)
HMS Revenge was the lead ship of the Revenge class of battleships of the Royal Navy, the ninth to bear the name. She was launched during World War I in 1915. Though the class is often referred to as the Royal Sovereign class, official documents of 1914–1918 refer to the class as the Revenge class...
, at Marseilles, in October 1930.
After a six-month respite in England, from April 1932, he was promoted to full admiral and became Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet
Mediterranean Fleet
Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. See:* Mediterranean Fleet * French Mediterranean Fleet* Mediterranean Squadron * United States Sixth Fleet...
, hoisting his flag in the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
HMS Resolution, on 31 October 1932. During more than a decade as a flag officer
Flag Officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark where the officer exercises command. The term usually refers to the senior officers in an English-speaking nation's navy, specifically those who hold any of the admiral ranks; in...
with the Mediterranean Fleet
Mediterranean Fleet
Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. See:* Mediterranean Fleet * French Mediterranean Fleet* Mediterranean Squadron * United States Sixth Fleet...
, he developed a great affection for Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, and his love for the children of the village of Mġarr
Mgarr
Mġarr or Imġarr, formerly known as Mgiarro, is a small town in the northwest of the mainland of Malta. Mgarr is a typical rural village situated in an isolated region, west of Mosta. It is surrounded with rich farmland and vineyards...
is marked by the name of Fisher Road. He handed over command at the end of March 1936 and went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
The Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Portsmouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the post.-History:...
, hoisting his flag in HMS Victory
HMS Victory
HMS Victory is a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, laid down in 1759 and launched in 1765. She is most famous as Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805....
on 7 July 1936. After the Coronation Naval Review and the King's Birthday Review, on Southsea Common, he died in office, while on leave in the country, after just under a year in post, in late June 1937.
Family
Fisher married Cecilia Warre-Cornish (1 May 1886 – 30 January 1965), daughter of Francis Warre Warre-CornishFrancis Warre Warre-Cornish
Francis Warre Warre-Cornish was a British scholar and writer. He was educated at Eton College and King's College, Cambridge. He was a master and subsequently Vice-Provost of Eton, from 1893 to 1916.-Works:...
on 21 December 1907. Their daughter, Cecilia Rosamund Fisher (22 November 1909–1991) married Captain Richard Duke Coleridge, 4th Baron Coleridge
Richard Duke Coleridge, 4th Baron Coleridge
Captain Sir Richard Duke Coleridge RN, 4th Baron Coleridge of Ottery St. Mary had a distinguished naval career and served as the first Executive Secretary of NATO from 1952-1970....
(1905–1984) of the Royal Navy on 28 August 1936; they had issue, 2 sons, including the present peer. Another daughter Horatia Mary Fisher married Group Captain Geoffrey Mungo Buxton (1906–1979), a grandson maternally of the 3rd Earl of Verulam, and had three surviving daughters.
Fisher was the brother of Herbert Fisher
Herbert Fisher
Herbert Albert Laurens Fisher OM, FRS, PC was an English historian, educator, and Liberal politician. He served as President of the Board of Education in David Lloyd George's 1916 to 1922 coalition government....
and of Florence Henrietta Darwin
Florence Henrietta Darwin
Florence Henrietta, Lady Darwin, , was an English playwright.Florence Henrietta Fisher was born in Kensington, London, the daughter of Herbert William Fisher , author of Considerations on the Origin of the American War and his wife Mary Louisa Jackson...
.